Reuters cited Sergei Libin, an analyst at Raiffeisen Research, as describing Megafon's minimum iPhone sales volume as "reasonable," adding that "I would not say it could sell much more than this."

Megafon stopped carrying Apple's iPhone in 2009 over a dispute regarding sales guarantees, but after four years it decided to return in January. Third place Russian carrier Vimpelcom similarly signed a deal with Apple last fall.

Apple's iPhone currently holds a 9 percent unit share of the overall smartphone market in Russia, but commands 20 percent of the industry's $5 billion in annual revenues, Reuters noted.